Watch: U.S. Department of Energy primer on lumens

If you’ve gone shopping for a light bulb recently you may have noticed a wide selection of compact fluorescent lights (CFL) as well as LED light bulbs available for purchase. As lighting technology continues to bring new products to store shelves, there is an increased risk of consumer confusion. What is the difference between a 60 -watt standard light bulb and a 13-watt CFL? What kind of LED light should you buy? This Energy 101 video from the U.S. Department of Energy encourages consumers to skip the watts and use a light bulb’s lumen rating to guide decisions. In the end, you can save money by purchasing the right light bulb the first time and of course decrease energy use, thus saving money on your monthly electricity bills.

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